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Mindfulness is all the rage nowadays. But what is it, exactly? If you try to define it yourself, what do you come up with? If you compare your answer with the answers of others, you might find quite a bit of heterogeneity. That wouldn\u2019t surprise me; while mindfulness is of interest to many, it\u2019s hard to pin down exactly what different people mean by the term.<\/p>\n
One definition that\u2019s been put forth is from Jon Kabat-Zinn, the researcher behind Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). He defines mindfulness as \u201cpaying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally\u201d. (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, p.4) This \u201cmodern\u201d definition may capture some or even most of many people\u2019s definition of mindfulness.<\/p>\n
Kabat-Zinn\u2019s form of mindfulness is derived from Buddhist mindfulness, with heavy influence from one particular lineage of Buddhism known as Theravada. This lineage gets its teachings from one of the earliest sets of scriptures in Buddhism known as the Pali Canon. The Pali Canon inherited its name from the language in which it is written: Pali, which is related to Sanskrit.<\/p>\n
In Pali, the word we translate as \u201cmindfulness\u201d is sati<\/em>. While MBSR and our modern conception of mindfulness may be derived from the ancient Buddhists texts, how much does our modern \u201cmindfulness\u201d resemble sati<\/em> as described in the Pali Canon? And do either of these concepts resemble anything found in ancient Stoic writings? Can some form of \u201cmindfulness\u201d be found in the writings of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius?<\/p>\n The goal of this essay, based on my workshop from Stoicon 2016, is to answer these questions.<\/p>\n To begin tackling this question, a good place to start would be looking for explicit definitions of sati<\/em> in the Pali Canon. Unfortunately, little came up when I tried this approach. This is possibly because the term sati <\/em>was well-understood and in common use during the time the Pali Canon was written. After all, I didn\u2019t have to define \u201ccommon\u201d or \u201cterm\u201d in the previous sentence, did I? But fortunately, we can still get some grasp on what sati<\/em> means by looking at the etymology of sati <\/em>and some similes the Buddha gives for sati.<\/em><\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with the etymology. Sati<\/em> is a noun derived from the Sanskrit term smrti<\/em>, which means recollection or calling to mind. The verb form of sati <\/em>is sarati<\/em>, meaning \u201cto remember\u201d. So it seems that sati<\/em> has something to do with memory, at least from an etymological viewpoint. However, etymology can sometimes lead one astray. So let\u2019s turn to some similes for sati <\/em>the Buddha gave in the Pali Canon to see if we can triangulate its meaning.<\/p>\n One such simile is found in Theragata 6.12<\/a>:<\/p>\n If your mind runs loose Another simile comes to us from the Sutta Nipata 5.4<\/a>:<\/p>\n Whatever streams These two similes seem to indicate that mindfulness can act as a kind of restraint on the mind and \u201cstreams in the world\u201d (which may be taken to mean sense data and the mind, as defined in Samyutta Nikaya 35.82). Note that this is pretty different from \u201cmindfulness\u201d as we defined it in the previous section; there it seemed relatively passive. Here it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n Sati<\/em> also seems to have another major quality seen through similes in the Pali Canon<\/em>. Let\u2019s take a look at a couple of more similes to see what they\u2019re pointing to. In the Anguttara Nikaya<\/em> 6.43, we see mindfulness being compared to the neck of an elephant, with the head being wisdom. Also, in Sutta Nipata<\/em> 1.4, we see mindfulness being compared to the goad and plowshare of the farmer, suggesting guidance. Both of these metaphors seem to indicate that sati<\/em> has a guiding quality to it. The elephant metaphor illuminates what it is exactly that sati<\/em> is guiding: the cultivation of wisdom.<\/p>\n How sati<\/em> could lead to wisdom is clarified through a few other similes. Anguttara Nikaya 7.63<\/a> compares sati <\/em>to a gatekeeper:<\/p>\n Just as the royal frontier fortress has a gate-keeper \u2014 wise, experienced, intelligent \u2014 to keep out those he doesn’t know and to let in those he does, for the protection of those within and to ward off those without; in the same way a disciple of the noble ones is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago. With mindfulness (sati<\/em>) as his gate-keeper, the disciple of the [noble] ones abandons what is unskillful, develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is blameless, and looks after himself with purity.<\/p>\n And in Majjhima Nikaya<\/em> 105, the Buddha compares sati<\/em> to a surgeon\u2019s probe which is used to find the arrow of craving poisoned with ignorance. Together, these seem to point at how sati<\/em> is thought to develop wisdom: through deeply and actively attending to one\u2019s internal phenomenon, and noting what is harmful (or \u201cunskillful\u201d) and how it is so, along with what is helpful, or \u201cskillful\u201d.<\/p>\n The faculty of sati <\/em>requires attending to four specific areas, described briefly in Samyutta Nikaya 48.10<\/a>:<\/p>\n And what is the faculty of mindfulness (sati)<\/em>? There is the case where a monk, a disciple of the noble ones, is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago. He remains focused on the body in & of itself \u2014 ardent, alert, & mindful \u2014 putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves… the mind in & of itself… mental qualities in & of themselves \u2014 ardent, alert, & mindful \u2014 putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. This is called the faculty of mindfulness.<\/p>\n The several practices to develop the faculty of sati<\/em> within each of these four domains are laid out in more detail in Majjhima Nikaya 10<\/a>, known as the Satipatthana<\/em> (\u201cfoundations of mindfulness\u201d) Sutta. Going into the details of these practices is beyond the scope of this essay. But a refrain throughout that sutta<\/em> tells us of some similar qualities used throughout all four areas:<\/p>\n In this way he remains focused internally on the body\/feelings\/mind\/mental qualities in & of itself, or externally…, or both internally & externally…. Or he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to the body\/feelings\/mind\/mental qualities, on the phenomenon of passing away…, or on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to the body\/feelings\/mind\/mental qualities. Or his mindfulness that ‘There is a body\/feelings\/mind\/mental qualities’ is maintained to the extent of knowledge & remembrance. And he remains independent, unsustained by (not clinging to) anything in the world.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In short, one watches these four areas to see how they arise and pass away, maintaining enough attention for the sake of \u201cknowledge & remembrance\u201d while putting aside worldly concerns.<\/p>\n The above seems to indicate to me that sati <\/em>has many of the same qualities of mind that a student has when studying a subject they\u2019re engrossed in. This is indicated through the allusions to memory and knowledge mentioned several times. But instead of studying textbooks, the practitioner is studying their phenomenological experience. There is also a judgmental aspect of sati<\/em> that is not present in Jon Kabat-Zinn\u2019s definition of a more modern form of mindfulness, as indicated by the simile of the gatekeeper and the metaphors of blocking streams and restraining an ox. One does not seem to simply observe passively, but instead one takes note of what phenomena are helpful or hurtful, how they are so, and what makes them arise and cease. In short, sati<\/em> seems to be the careful self-study of one\u2019s physical and mental experiences.<\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve laid out one definition of modern mindfulness and gotten a sense of what ancient Buddhist sati <\/em>is like, let\u2019s turn our attention to Stoicism and ask if something similar to either of these notions be found in the ancient Stoic texts. Many people think there is, and that it can be found in the notion of prosoche.<\/em><\/p>\n For instance, Donald Robertson seems to indicate that prosoche<\/em> is similar to \u201cmindfulness\u201d when he writes: \u201cStoicism is a \u2018here and now\u2019 (hic et nunc<\/em>) philosophy that centres upon the concept of prosoch\u00e9<\/em>, \u2018attention to oneself\u2019, which can also be translated as \u2018mindfulness\u2019 or \u2018self awareness\u2019.\u201d (Robertson, 2010, p.153). He also suggests that \u201c[t]he closest thing the Stoics have to a technical term for \u2018mindfulness\u2019 is prosoche<\/em>, or \u2018attention\u2019, which refers to the continual self-monitoring of one\u2019s thoughts and actions, as they happen, in the here and now.\u201d (Robertson, 2013, p.189)<\/p>\n Other modern writers have suggested that prosoche<\/em> plays a central role in ancient Stoic spiritual practice. For instance, Pierre Hadot calls prosoche<\/em> \u201cthe fundamental Stoic spiritual attitude.\u201d (Hadot, 1995, p.84) And Christopher Fisher<\/a> writes that \u201cProsoch\u0113 is essential for the prokopt\u014dn to practice the three Stoic disciplines prescribed by Epictetus (Discourse<\/em> 3.2.1-5). Constant attention is necessary to live according to Nature. Once one embarks on the path of the prokopt\u014dn<\/em>, the attitude of prosoch\u0113<\/em> serves as an ever-present, vigilant watchman to ensure one continues to make forward progress.\u201d<\/p>\n Putting the above together, modern writers have painted the following picture of prosoche<\/em>:<\/p>\n I disagree with both of these claims to at least some extent.<\/p>\n To start with, let\u2019s tackle the first claim, that prosoche<\/em> is a kind of self-awareness that is similar to mindfulness, by examining what this Greek term means and how it was used in the ancient texts.<\/p>\n For instance, Marcus Aurelius, when speaking of his father, states in Meditations<\/em> 1.16 that:<\/p>\n …he cared for his body with due moderation without valuing his life at too high a rate or being concerned about his outward appearance, but also without neglecting it, and in such a way that, because of his own attentions, he rarely had need of a doctor\u2019s help, or medicines, or external treatment.\u201d (Hard, 2011)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The word \u201cattentions\u201d here is the accusative form of prosoche.<\/em> And in 11.16, Marcus states reminds himself<\/p>\n \u201c…that we shall have to attend to these [indifferent, external] matters for only a short while, and then our life shall be over.\u201d (Hard, 2011)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cAttend\u201d here is prosoche. <\/em>Finally, in De Stoicorum Repugnantiis<\/em> 1045e, Plutarch reports that Chrysippus said that there \u201c…are some things not worthy of much study or attention.\u201d \u201cAttention\u201d here is the genitive form of prosoche. <\/em><\/p>\n These three instances of the use of \u2018prosoche\u201d <\/em>seem to indicate that the term has a pretty straightforward translation into English: \u201cattention\u201d. These examples do not seem to have any connotations of \u201cmindfulness\u201d that we\u2019ve seen thus far. In Marcus\u2019 first quote above, it simply seems to mean that his father \u201cpaid attention to \u201d or \u201ctook care of\u201d himself. In the second quote, he is simply using it as \u201cpaying attention\u201d just as we would in modern English. In the last example, we see a similar use; it seems to simply mean \u201cattention\u201d – not a kind of mindful self-study of one\u2019s phenomenological experience and behavior. There are plenty of Greek terms that I think are best left untranslated since they don\u2019t loan themselves to easy, English translations (e.g., eudaimonia, arete, hegemonikon)<\/em>. But prosoche<\/em> is not one of them.<\/p>\n While the term \u201cprosoche<\/em>\u201d is just used to mean \u201cattention\u201d in many instances, it does play a role as a Stoic practice in Epictetus\u2019 teachings, which he expounds upon in Discourses 4.12 (\u201cOn Attention\u201d). There, he explicitly explains what a practicing Stoic should pay attention to:<\/p>\n To what things should I pay attention, then?<\/p>\n In the first place to those general principles that you should always have at hand, so as not to go to sleep, or get up, or drink or eat, or converse with others, without them, namely, that no one is master over another person\u2019s choice, and that it is in choice alone that our good and evil lie. \u2026<\/p>\n And next, we must remember who we are, and what name we bear, and strive to direct our appropriate actions according to the demands of our social relationships, remembering what is the proper time to sing, the proper time to play, and in whose company, and what will be out of place, and how we may make sure that our companions don\u2019t despise us, and that we don\u2019t despise ourselves; when we should joke, and whom we should laugh at, and to what end we should associate with others, and with whom, and finally, how we should preserve our proper character when doing so. (Hard, 2014)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In short, one pays constant attention to one\u2019s general philosophical \u201cat-hand\u201d precepts (especially the dichotomy of control) and one\u2019s appropriate social role in all circumstances. This bears some faint resemblance to mindfulness of thoughts and actions, but is quite different from sati<\/em>\u2019s four areas of mindfulness practices and Kabat-Zinn\u2019s mindfulness of the present moment.<\/p>\n What about the claim that prosoche <\/em>is a fundamental Stoic spiritual attitude or practice? It is hard to answer this question since the large majority of Stoic texts are lost. However, we can take a stab at guessing how fundamental prosoche <\/em>was to ancient Stoic practice by looking at how often the term was used and how widespread it was.<\/p>\n One way prosoche<\/em> could be considered fundamental is if it is mentioned by multiple authors writing about Stoicism. However, this isn\u2019t something we witness in the extant texts. For instance, Diogenes Laertius does not use the term at all in his description of Stoic philosophy in Book VII of his Lives of the Eminent Philosophers<\/em>. Marcus uses the term only three times, to my knowledge, in Meditations; <\/em>two of the times were mentioned above, and the third time he quotes Epictetus as saying that we \u201cmust find an art of assent, and in the sphere of our impulses, take good care [prosektikon<\/em> – \u201cattentive\u201d] that they are exercised subject to reservation\u2026.\u201d (Hard, 2011) Seneca wrote in Latin, so it\u2019s a little harder to tell if he was referring to this specific term. However, the Latin translation of Epictetus\u2019 writings often translate<\/a> \u201cprosoche\u201d<\/em> as \u201canimadversio<\/em>\u201d. Seneca uses this word less than 10 times throughout all his writings, and it never seems to indicate anything close to a Stoic practice.<\/p>\n But that alone doesn\u2019t rule out prosoche <\/em>being an essential Stoic practice. Perhaps it was essential in Epictetus\u2019 Stoicism, as something either he himself emphasized or something he acquired from writings lost to us? However, this doesn\u2019t seem to be the case, either. Epictetus himself seems to only use the term three times outside of Discourses 4.12: twice in 1.20.9-10 (where it seems to just mean \u201cattention\u201d in the normal sense) and once in Enchiridion 33.6 where it could refer either to the exercise of prosoche <\/em>as described in Discourses 4.12 or simply \u201cattention\u201d. Within Discourses 4.12 he only uses the term 4 more times.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s compare this with some other practice-related terms that are seen more frequently in his writings. For instance, logikos <\/em>(logic) appears over 30 times in his writings, along with sullogismos <\/em>(syllogism – related to logical reasoning); this seems to indicate that these practices were important to Epictetus, especially when one looks at uses of these terms in their context. Also, the practice of having \u201cat-hand\u201d rules, which one says to oneself, also seems of major importance; \u201cprocheiros\u201d<\/em> (having phrases or thoughts \u201cat hand\u201d) appears over 60 times, \u201cepilege<\/em> \u201c (\u201csay to yourself\u201d) appears 14 times, and \u201cdokimazo\u201d <\/em>(rules which one compares impressions or value judgements to) appears 28 times. Compared to these concepts, it seems that Epictetus does not emphasize prosoche<\/em> as something central to Stoic practice. It would be easy to miss it in a casual read of his works.<\/p>\n Overall, it looks like the two claims made about prosoche <\/em>(that it is a fundamental part of Stoic practice and that is about self-examination of one\u2019s thoughts and actions) do not quite reflect what is written in ancient Stoic texts. The term, when used as a practice, is specific to Epictetus, and he uses it relatively rarely and in a somewhat different way from what some modern authors claim.<\/p>\n While it doesn\u2019t appear that prosoche<\/em> as used in the ancient texts is quite \u201cmindfulness\u201d as we construe the term nowadays, there are several aspects of Stoic practice that do reflect aspects of both modern mindfulness as well as sati<\/em>. These similarities exists in ancient Stoic literature; they\u2019re just not explicitly connected with prosoche<\/em>.<\/p>\n One similarity between Buddhist practice and Stoic practice can be seen in Discourses<\/em> 3.3:<\/p>\n It is in accordance with this plan of action above all that one should train oneself. As soon as you leave the house at break of day, examine everyone whom you see, everyone whom you hear, and answer as if under questioning. What did you see? A handsome man or beautiful woman? Apply the rule. Does this lie within the sphere of choice, or outside it? Outside. Throw it away. What did you see? Someone grieving over the death of his child? Apply the rule. Death is something that lies outside the sphere of choice. Away with it. You met a consul? Apply the rule. What kind of thing is a consulship? One that lies outside the sphere of choice, or inside? Outside. Throw that away too, it doesn\u2019t stand the test. Away with it; it is nothing to you. If we acted in such a way and practised this exercise from morning until night, we would then have achieved something, by the gods. (Hard, 2014)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n While the term \u201cprosoche<\/em>\u201d is not explicitly used here, it does seem to be an application of it, in that Epictetus is advocating paying constant attention to \u201cthe rule\u201d of the dichotomy of control in all that one does at every moment. A similar kind of rule application can also be seen in Buddhist practice<\/a>, although this is also not explicitly connected to sati<\/em>:<\/p>\n “What do you think, Rahula: What is a mirror for?”<\/p>\n “For reflection, sir.”<\/p>\n “In the same way, Rahula, bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions are to be done with repeated reflection.<\/p>\n “Whenever you want to do a bodily\/verbal\/mental action, you should reflect on it: ‘This \u2026 action I want to do \u2014 would it lead to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both? Would it be an unskillful \u2026 action, with painful consequences, painful results?’ If, on reflection, you know that it would lead to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both; it would be an unskillful \u2026 action with painful consequences, painful results, then any \u2026 action of that sort is absolutely unfit for you to do. But if on reflection you know that it would not cause affliction… it would be a skillful \u2026 action with pleasant consequences, pleasant results, then any \u2026 action of that sort is fit for you to do.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Instead of control, the rule here is focused on the harm to oneself or others. And, while sati<\/em> is not explicitly mentioned, the \u201cjudgemental\u201d aspect of sussing out what\u2019s helpful and harmful does also appear in the concept of sati<\/em> as I described earlier. A similar theme with regard to impulses to action can be seen in Meditations<\/em> 8.7:<\/p>\n Every nature is contented when things go well for it; and things go well for a rational nature when it never gives its assent to a false or doubtful impression, and directs its impulses only to actions that further the common good, and limits its desires and aversions only to things that are within its power, and welcomes all that is assigned to it by universal nature. (Hard, 2011)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Thus, while these practices aren\u2019t explicitly related to sati <\/em>or prosoche<\/em>, they do still have an aspect of \u201cmindfulness\u201d to them in that they\u2019re both focused on the quality of thoughts and deeds in the present moment.<\/p>\n Indeed, a major similarity between modern \u201cmindfulness\u201d and Stoic practice can be seen in Marcus\u2019 explicit focus on the present moment, which he mentions in several places throughout the Meditations<\/em>. For instance, in 3.10, he writes: \u201cCast everything else aside, then, and hold to these few truths alone; and remember, furthermore, that each of us lives only in the present, this fleeting moment of time, and that the rest of one\u2019s life has either already been lived or lies in an unknowable future.\u201d And in 12.26, he states that \u201cthe life of every one of us is confined to the present moment and this is all that we have.\u201d This is similar to some statements about the present moment in ancient Buddhism. For instance, we see in Majjhima Nikaya 131<\/a>:<\/p>\n You shouldn’t chase after the past As a brief aside, I should note that it\u2019s not clear to me that \u201cthe present moment\u201d is mentioned quite as often in the oldest Buddhist texts as many believe it to be, and when it is, it seems to be for a quite different purpose than what modern mindfulness focuses on. We can see a hint of that in the quote above, but going more deeply into the role of sati<\/em> in Buddhist practice is beyond the scope of this essay. For more information, see Ronald Purser\u2019s The Myth of the Present Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n As a final example, of something that could be reasonably construed as \u201cmindfulness\u201d in Stoic practice, let us take a look at what I call \u201cdecomposition\u201d or \u201cstripping\u201d exercises, a practice which is advocated in one form or another by Epictetus, Marcus, and Seneca. One of several versions of it can be found in Meditations <\/em>6.13:<\/p>\n When you have savouries and fine dishes set before you, you will gain an idea of their nature if you tell yourself that this is the corpse of a fish, and that the corpse of a bird or a pig; or again, that fine Falernian wine is merely grape-juice, and this purple robe some sheep\u2019s wool dipped in the blood of a shellfish; and as for sexual intercourse, it is the friction of a piece of gut and, following a sort of convulsion, the expulsion of some mucus. Thoughts such as these reach through to the things themselves and strike to the heart of them, allowing us to see them as they truly are. So follow this practice throughout your life, and where things seem most worthy of your approval, lay them naked, and see how cheap they are, and strip them of the pretences of which they are so vain. (Hard, 2011)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Here, Marcus strips descriptions of external things of their value judgements, describing their component parts in order to reign in desire. Compare this to one of the mindfulness of body practices laid out by the Buddha in Majjhima Nikaya 10<\/a>:<\/p>\n Furthermore…just as if a sack with openings at both ends were full of various kinds of grain \u2014 wheat, rice, mung beans, kidney beans, sesame seeds, husked rice \u2014 and a man with good eyesight, pouring it out, were to reflect, ‘This is wheat. This is rice. These are mung beans. These are kidney beans. These are sesame seeds. This is husked rice,’ in the same way, monks, a monk reflects on this very body from the soles of the feet on up, from the crown of the head on down, surrounded by skin and full of various kinds of unclean things: ‘In this body there are head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, tendons, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, large intestines, small intestines, gorge, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, skin-oil, saliva, mucus, fluid in the joints, urine.’<\/p>\n In this way he remains focused internally on the body in & of itself, or focused externally… unsustained by anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Here, the Buddha is advocating breaking both one\u2019s own body (\u201cinternally\u201d) and possibly the body of others (\u201cexternally\u201d, although this is not the only interpretation of these terms) down to its component parts, possibly for a similar purpose.<\/p>\n So, while prosoche<\/em> is not explicitly connected to much of what we could relate to our concept of \u201cmindfulness\u201d, it is still fair to say that some similarities between Stoic practices and the concept exist.<\/p>\n The concept of prosoche<\/em> is said to be a fundamental part of ancient Stoic practice involving mindfulness of one\u2019s thoughts and deeds in the present moment. I hope I made a credible case for why this doesn\u2019t seem to be entirely accurate. \u201cProsoche<\/em>\u201d is not mentioned very frequently in the ancient texts we have. When it is, it often just means \u201cattention\u201d in the common sense of the word. Only Epictetus (or Marcus quoting Epictetus) seems to mention it as an exercise, and even then it only bears a cursory resemblance to sati<\/em> or modern mindfulness. While the \u201cfour foundations\u201d of sati<\/em> to which one pays careful attention are body, feeling tone, mind, and mental qualities, Epictetus defines the \u201ctwo foundations\u201d of prosoche<\/em> as basic Stoic precepts and social role. While one pays attention to phenomenological experience in sati<\/em>, one pays attention to more abstract concepts in prosoche<\/em>. And while both touch on aspects of one\u2019s present moment, neither sati<\/em> nor prosoche<\/em> are as explicitly tied up in that concept as modern definitions of mindfulness are.<\/p>\n However, as modern Stoics, we\u2019re not compelled to exclusively follow the ancient texts. The fact is that mindfulness is a concept that has become embedded in our language and culture, and it is a useful concept. So, as modern Stoic practitioners, we should be free to co-opt the term \u201cprosoche<\/em>\u201d to suit our own needs. After all, we do see a few aspects of \u201cmindfulness\u201d in Stoic practice, even if they\u2019re not explicitly tied to prosoche<\/em> proper in the ancient texts.<\/p>\n Patrick Ussher expresses similar views in his essay “Was There a \u2018Stoic Mindfulness\u2019?”<\/em>\u00a0There, he states that \u201calthough it is not strictly accurate to call prosoche <\/em>\u2018Stoic \u2018mindfulness\u2019, historically speaking, it is probably a helpful term to use as prosoche<\/em>, like mindfulness meditation, clearly does involve developing a kind of attention: Stoic mindfulness is about bringing the two-fold distinction discussed above with you, in the various situations in which you find yourself, throughout the day\u2026. In fact, all Stoic \u2018mindfulness\u2019, or prosoche<\/em>, is really about is remembering the key precepts of Stoic ethics and putting them into practice.\u201d (Ussher, 2014)<\/p>\n I completely agree. We should feel free to adapt and change terms for our modern time as long as our words are clear and useful. The goal of this essay was to simply clarify the roots of what it is exactly that we\u2019re adapting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Non-internet) references<\/u><\/p>\n Goodwin, WW (ed.). (1874) Plutarch’s Morals<\/em>. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.<\/p>\n Hadot, P. (1995). Philosophy as a way of life<\/em>. London: Blackwell.<\/p>\n Hard, R (trans.). (2011). Meditations: With Selected Correspondence<\/em>. Oxford: Oxford University Press.<\/p>\n Hard, R (trans.). (2014). Discourses, Fragments, Handbook<\/em>. Oxford: Oxford University Press.<\/p>\n Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life<\/em>. New York: Hyperion.<\/p>\n Robertson, D. (2010). The philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Stoic philosophy as rational and cognitive psychotherapy<\/em>. London: Karnac.<\/p>\n Robertson, D. (2013). Stoicism and the Art of Happiness<\/em>. London: Hodder & Stoughton.<\/p>\n Ussher, P. (2014). Was there a \u2018Stoic mindfulness\u2019? In P. Ussher (Ed.), Stoicism today: Selected writings vol. 1<\/em>. CreateSpace\/Stoicism Today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greg Lopez<\/strong> is a practicing secular Buddhist and Stoic, founder and facilitator of the New York City Stoics<\/a> meetup, co-host of Stoic Camp New York, Director of Membership for The Stoic Fellowship<\/a>, and co-organizer of Stoicon 2016. He also runs a nonprofit that uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which is what led to his interest in Stoicism. His professional and academic background is in pharmacy and basic science. His other interests include psychology, statistics, philosophy, and swing dancing.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mindfulness is all the rage nowadays. But what is it, exactly? If you try to define it yourself, what do you come up with? If you compare your answer with the answers of others, you might find quite a bit of heterogeneity. That wouldn\u2019t surprise me; while mindfulness is of interest to many, it\u2019s hard … Continue reading “Sati & Prosoche: Buddhist vs. Stoic \u201cMindfulness\u201d Compared by Greg Lopez”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8636,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/colabstaging.co.uk\/msbackup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/colabstaging.co.uk\/msbackup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/colabstaging.co.uk\/msbackup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/colabstaging.co.uk\/msbackup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8636"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/colabstaging.co.uk\/msbackup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6108"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/colabstaging.co.uk\/msbackup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6280,"href":"https:\/\/colabstaging.co.uk\/msbackup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108\/revisions\/6280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/colabstaging.co.uk\/msbackup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/colabstaging.co.uk\/msbackup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/colabstaging.co.uk\/msbackup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Sati<\/em><\/h3>\n
\nafter sensual pleasures
\nand states of becoming,
\nquickly restrain it with mindfulness (sati<\/em>)
\nas you would a bad ox
\neating grain.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nthere are in the world:
\ntheir blocking is
\nmindfulness, mindfulness (sati<\/em>)
\nis their restraint \u2014 I tell you \u2014
\nwith discernment
\nthey’re finally stopped.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nProsoche<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n
The spirit of \u201cmindfulness\u201d in Stoic Practice<\/h2>\n
\nor place expectations on the future.
\nWhat is past
\nis left behind.
\nThe future
\nis as yet unreached.
\nWhatever quality is present
\nyou clearly see right there,
\nright there.
\nNot taken in,
\nunshaken,
\nthat’s how you develop the heart.
\nArdently doing
\nwhat should be done\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 today,
\nfor \u2014 who knows? \u2014 tomorrow
\ndeath.
\nThere is no bargaining
\nwith Mortality & his mighty horde.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nConclusion<\/h2>\n